President Rodrigo Duterte isn’t exactly a popular figure in international media, mostly because he is being criticized for his foreign policies, foul mouth, supposed had in the extra judicial killings in the Philippines, and other issues that are of significance to the international community.
A lot of media outlets repeatedly write reports and opinion pieces criticizing the Philippine president but the “Time magazine equivalent of the Chinese-speaking world”, Yazhou Zhoukan, had recently declared Duterte as “Person of the Year”!
According to presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, Duterte was chosen by the magazine as their “Person of the Year” because of his “announcement of his independent foreign policy, his distancing away from the US, and forging closer ties with China”.
Abella also revealed, “[The] article also praises Duterte’s good governance and anti-corruption campaign as the reason for his popularity among Filipinos.”
According to Abella, the magazine is sold not just in China but also in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
What do you think of Duterte as this magazine’s “Person of the Year”?
